Stop motion for roving frames



Sept. 13, 1938. 5'. J. ADAMS, El AL- 2,129,639

STOP mow xou FOR ROVING FRAMES Filed Sepf. 11, 1937 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 PATENT OFFICE STOP MOTION FOR, ROVING, FRAMES Simpson James Adams and William Archie Smith, Spindale, N. G. I

Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. 163,494

' 11 Claims. (Cl. 118- 4) Our invention relates to textile machinery and in particular to arrangements for automatically stopping. the machine when a strand of textile material being operated on by the machine 5 breaks or acquiresan excessive amount of slack. While our invention is p articularly adapted for use on a roving machine, it may be applied to other forms of textile machines. I ,5. Known forms of stop devices employing drop it wireslcannot-be used on the sliver delivered from the front roll of a roving frame due to the fact that the sliver is very delicate because of the lack of twistQin the sliver. The twist in the sliver at this. point is kept as low as possible so the la fibrecan be readily drafted down in the next 'fp'lodess to follow, and for this reason, the con- 'ventional type of drop wire cannot be used at this point because it imposes too much weight on the sliver and will cause it to stretch and ultimately break. 7 Y Y An object of the invention is, to devise an automatic stop device for a textile machine which Twill not injurei'or breakdelicate strands of textilev materialQ. The drop wire employed in the stop"m6tionin the present invention is designed to ha'veits entire weight supported independently of the'sliver. p 1

'f A further object of the invention isto devise an automatic stop for detecting an excessive 30 amountof 'sl'a'ck'or'break in a strand of textile material where the strand is subjected not only to longitudinal movement but to a traversing movement'as' well."

A. preferred embodiment of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawing as applied to a roving machine, and in the drawing, Figure I is a diagrammatic view showing a fragment of a'roving machine in front elevation; Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken a along'line 2--2 and showing two fiyers and associated bobbins;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along'li'ne 3-3 of Figure 1;

" Figure ,4 isa vi'ew illustrating a modified form 45 of cjletector reed;

' Figure 5 is a sectional view along line 55 of Figuref', and

Figure dis a side view of a modified detectorreed.-

5, Referring to the drawing, power driven draft rolls of theroving-machine are indicated at l, and the cooperating top rolls, which are'usually covered with cork or leather, are shown at 2. The draft rolls are journaled upon suitable 2 brackets 3 mounted upon the machine framed.

As shown in Figure 1, the draft rolls l and Z comprise a series of longitudinal sections engaging each other, and a strand or sliver ofv the roving machine is fed to the back pair of rolls of each section by means of a guiding trumpet 5 5. The roving sliver is passed successively between the second and third pair of draft rolls and extends to rotating fiyers arranged in front of the roving machine. In Figure2, the sliver or strand 6a extends to the flyer "la in the back 10 row of fiyers, while the sliver 622 extends to a flyer lb located in the front row of fiyers. Alternate slivers, therefore, are associated with the fiyers in alternate rows. The two ,flyers la and "lb wind the roving slivers on bobbins 1c and 1d respectively. The guiding trumpets 5 associated with the various sections of draft rolls are mounted upon a frame or bar 8 which is mounted for reciprocating movement parallel with the axis of the draft rolls l2. Suitable means are known for reciprocating the frame 8 and such means is represented in Figure 1 of the drawing as cam 9 mounted upon a rotating shaft 9a, and cooperating with a follower 91) carried by a bracket 90 secured to the frame 8. Suitable biasing means represented by the spring I0 is provided to maintain the follower in contact with the cam. It is understood that the purpose in providing the oscillating movement of the guiding trumpets 5 is to impart a traversing motion to the roving slivers so that the sliver will not remain in one path in passing through the draft rolls but will be shifted to different parts of the draft. roll and thus prevent uneven wear.

The arrangement described above is included in the ordinary construction of a roving machine. The stop arrangement constituting our invention involves a frame It formed of insulating material mounted upon frame 4 between the draft rolls and the fiyers. The frame H is mounted '40 for reciprocating motion parallel with the axis of the draft rolls, and this reciprocating motion may be imparted to the frame I I from the frame 8 by a connection between these frames as indicated by the bracket [2. If desired, a separate 4'5 cam or other driving means may be provided for reciprocating the frame II in synchronism with frame 8. It is not essential that the frame I I be reciprocated the same distance as frame 8 but the two frames should be reciprocated in synchronism.

The insulating frame ll carries a number of reeds or drop wires l3, there being one reed associated with each section of the draft rolls and arranged in alignment with the correspond- 5 Ill ing guiding trumpet 5. As shown in Figure 3, the reeds l3 are pivotally supported in a slot Ila formed in the frame II by means of pins I311. The pivotal points of the reeds are arranged below the center-of gravity of the reed, and in its normal operation the reed occupies a vertical position and is maintained in this position by the roving sliver. It will be understood that when the reed is in normal or running position, it occupies a position of unstable equilibrium, and the slightest force will cause the reed to tilt either to the right or to the left of its pivot point. As shown in Figure. 1, the reed is formed with an elongated aperture [3b formed in the upper end through which the roving sliver passes. These reeds are preferably formed of a very light material, such as aluminum; and may be stamped from strip or sheet stock, although they may also be formed of aluminum wire as described below. On the front side of the insulating frame H is arranged a conducting strip l4 formed of any suitable metal, such as copper, and a pair of transverse extensions Ma and 14b are provided on the strip and arranged on opposite sides of each reed I3, the extensions 14a and Mb being arranged to serve as stops to limit the tilting of the reed to either side of its normal position. All of the pivot pins 13a are joined together by conductor l5 which is insulated from the conductor M.

Any suitable power throw-01f device may be employed, and in Figure 1 of the drawing we have represented this arrangement as consisting of a belt-shifting fork l5 mounted upon a bar I1 which is shifted by a pivoted lever 18 against the action of the biasing spring IS, the fork being maintained in normal operating position by means of a latch 2B engaging an abutment on and asuitable switch 23 which is operated to open-circuit position when the bar 11 moves to unlatched position.

During the normal operation of the roving machine, the power throw-off device is set as in Fig. 1, and the reed supporting frame II is reciprocated or traversed in synchronism with the traversing bar 8 carrying the guiding trumpets 5, the reeds I3 being maintained in vertical position by the slivers, which position corresponds to the position of unstable equilibrium. So long as a sliver does not break or acquire substantial slack, the reeds I3 are maintained in substantially vertical position and no appreciable force is exerted on the slivers by the reeds, since the weight of the reed is carried by the pivot pins, and there is substantially no transverse force exerted on the sliver. In case a sliver should break or should acquire an excessive amount of slack, the associated reed will fall to one side or the other of its normal position and will engage one of the extensions Ma and Mb of conductor l4, thereby closing the circuit to energize magnet 22 and to release latch 20, thus permitting the belt-shifting fork IE to be moved into a position to shift the power belt to the loose pulley and thereby stop the machine. As soon as the lever l'l shifts to the left, the switch 23 opens and avoids waste of current while the machine is stopped. After the abnormal conditions have been corrected by the attendant, the operated reed will again maintain its vertical position and the machine may be started by operating the lever l8 to the right.

In Figures 4 and 5 we have shown a modified form of drop wire or reed formed from suitable wire of light-weight material such as aluminum wire. As will be seen this form of reed consists of a loop of wire having both ends wound around the pivot pin l3a one or more turns and then twisted together at the lower end as indicated at I30. Instead of employing the electrical contacts Ma and Mb cooperating with the upper part of the reed, two pins 140 and Md may be mounted in the insulating frame II to cooperate with the twisted section I3c of the reed, the two pins being joined together by conductor M.

In Figure 6 we have illustrated a modified form of reed or drop-wire in which the reed is open at the upper end and the two ends or tines are flared outwardly to facilitate the insertion of the sliver into the reed without the necessity of threading the sliver through a slot or aperture in the reed.

As shown in Figure 1, the reeds associated with the back row of fiyers may be shorter than the reeds associated with the front row of flyers, but both sets of reeds may be made of the same length, if desired.

Various modifications of our invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and any such modifications that fall within the terms of the appended claims are considered as falling within the scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a stop device for a textile machine, a reed for embracing opposite sides of a textile strand, said reed being pivotally supported below its center of gravity and arranged for tilting movement transversely of said strand to either side of its position of unstable equilibrium, said reed having parts for engagement with opposite sides of said strand to prevent substantial tilting in either direction so long as said strand runs at normal tension, and means controlled by said reed when it tilts a predetermined amount in either direction for interrupting the power applied to said machine.

2. In a stop device for a textile machine, a reed for embracing opposite sides of a textile strand, said reed being pivotally supported below its center of gravity and arranged for tilting movement transversely of said strand to either side of its, position of unstable equilibrium, said reed having parts for engagement with opposite sides of said strand to prevent substantial tilting in either direction so long as said strand runs at normal tension, and a pair of electrical contacts arranged on opposite sides of said reed and positioned to be engaged by said reed when it tilts a predetermined amount from its position of unstable equilibrium.

3. A stop device according to claim 1 in which the power interrupting means includes an electric circuit and a pair of contacts arranged on opposite sides of the reed and cooperating with the reed for completing said circuit when the reed tilts a predetermined amount from its unstable position.

4. In a stop device for a textile machine, a reed for embracing opposite sides of a textile strand, said reed being pivotally supported below its center of gravity and arranged for tilting movement transversely of said strand, said reed having parts for engagement with opposite sides of said strand and for normally maintaining said reed in its position of unstable equilibrium by said strand,

and means controlled by said reed when it tilts a predetermined amount from its position of unstable equilibrium for interrupting the power applied to said machine.

5. In a stop device for a textile machine, a drop reed having a perforation for receiving a textile strand, means for pivotally supporting said reed below its center of gravity on an axis to constrain said reed to movement transversely of said strand and on either side of the vertical position, the sides of said perforation being arranged to engage opposite sides of said strand and prevent substantial tilting in either direction so long as said strand runs at normal tension, and means controlled by said reed when it inclines to either side of the vertical position by a predetermined amount to interrupt the power applied to said machine.

6. In a textile machine, means for feeding a textile strand through said machine, means for periodically traversing said strand transversely of its direction of travel, a reed embracing said strand, means for traversing said reed synchronously with said strand, and means controlled by said reed upon the breaking of said strand or upon excess slack therein for interrupting power applied to said machine.

7. In a textile machine, means for feeding a textile strand through said machine, means for periodically traversing said strand transversely of its direction of travel, a reed embracing said strand, means for pivotally supporting said reed below its center of gravity and in a position for tilting movement transversely of said strand to either side of its position of unstable equilibrium, means for traversing said reed supporting means synchronously with said strand, and means controlled by said reed when it tilts a predetermined amount in either direction from its position of unstable equilibrium for interrupting the power applied to said machine.

8. In a textile machine, means for guiding a textile strand through a machine, a stop device for said machine including a drop-reed for embracing said strand, and means for imparting simultaneous traversing motion to said guiding means and to said reed.

9. In a textile machine, a pair of draft rolls for feeding a textile strand, guiding means for said strand arranged on one side of said rolls, a stop device for said machine including a drop-reed arranged on the opposite side of said rolls and embracing said strand, and means for imparting simultaneous traversing motion to said guiding means and to said drop-reed.

10. In a textile machine, draft rolls for drawing a textile strand through said machine, guiding means for said strand arranged on one side of said rolls, a reed for embracing said strand on the opposite side of said rolls, means for pivotally supporting said reed below its center of gravity and in a position for tilting movement transversely of said strand to either side of its position of unstable equilibrium, means for imparting simultaneous traversing motion to said guiding means and to said reed supporting means, a pair of electric contacts arranged on opposite sides of said reed and positioned to be engaged by said reed when it tilts a predetermined amount from its position of unstable equilibrium, a power throw-off device for said machine, an electric circuit for controlling said power throw-off de vice, said circuit including said reed and said contacts whereby said circuit is energized by the tilting of said reed to either side of its unstable position.

11. In a textile machine, means for guiding a textile strand through a machine, a stop device for said machine including slack detecting means embracing said strand and being operable upon excessive slack in said strand or upon a break therein to stop said machine, and means for imparting simultaneous traversing motion to said guiding means and to said slack detecting means.

SIMPSON JAMES ADAMS. WILLLIAM ARCHIE SMITH. 

